A temporary victory…

Something I missed in most of my time away from the internet this weekend, the Blackout and boycott seemed to have struck a chord.

By the time the week was over, dozens of lawmakers had abandoned the two bills or voiced opposition, and a cloture vote on PIPA scheduled for this Tuesday in the Senate was delayed as lawmakers try to find a compromise. In the House, Representative Lamar Smith, the lead SOPA sponsor and Texas Republican, killed his bill.

In the grand scheme, I see this as indicative of two things: That (1) a unified stand by a large enough representation of the people, for the people, is still a way to get the attention of the power brokers that hope to maintain their elected status, and that (2) there is going to come another day in the future where other similar bills may also be brought up, or it could be snuck into subclauses of subclauses for other legislation, and the public may not know about it until too late.

Cynical, I know, but at least we have a victory for today, and a free-access internet for a little while longer.